Football: Live Oak's Trevor Bearden sets sights on CCS record book

Senior football running back Trevor Bearden, right, chats with corner back Brandon Sorce during practice at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. (LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group)

MORGAN HILL -- As he walked off the field after capping a sensational 2,176-yard rushing season last year, Live Oak's Trevor Bearden turned to his coach and raised the bar for this fall.

"Coach, I want 3,000 next year," Bearden said.

To do that, he would have to rush for 300 yards per game, a mind-boggling but perhaps not unattainable figure.

Last week, Bearden opened his senior season by rushing for 401 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over his school's archrival, Gilroy.

It was a headline-grabbing performance, but not entirely satisfying for the 6-foot-1, 220-pound runner.

So driven is Bearden with a football tucked under his arm that he believes he could have gone for 500 yards -- yes, 500 -- if the offense had been in midseason form or had he not missed a couple of holes.

"He never believes he has a perfect game," Live Oak coach Mike Gemo said.

Determined to get better, Bearden spent the winter, spring and summer working out at a San Jose training facility with other top football players in the area.

The result, Bearden said, was more strength and speed.

"He knew what he wanted to work for," Gemo said. "He did the work in the offseason and set himself a good pace with the first game."

Bearden, who rushed for 435 yards against Branham last year, has high team goals this season. He wants Live Oak to go 10-0 and advance to the Central Coast Section playoffs for the first time since his freshman year.

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But the runner known for his vision on the field also has an eye on the CCS record book. By the time Bearden hangs up his Live Oak helmet for good, he wants to be the section's career and season record holder in rushing.

The season mark of 2,956 yards was set last season by Capuchino's Justin Ewing. The career record of 5,439 yards was set by San Mateo's Toke Kefu (2001-03).

"I want to get both of those," Bearden said.

He needs 1,562 yards (173.5 per game) to top Kefu's record and 2,556 yards (284 per game) to eclipse Ewing's total.

If Live Oak reaches the playoffs, he'll have an even better chance to reach those figures, though Bearden would prefer to do it before then.

"I want to do it in 10 games," he said.

At home, Bearden's father, Dave, a former Los Gatos High football and baseball standout who played baseball at Santa Clara University, just wants his son's best effort -- on and off the field.

"That's all I've ever wanted, and that goes for school as well," Dave Bearden said.

Trevor Bearden said he plans to play college football, noting that he has attended camps at Boise State, Oregon and San Jose State, but that his focus right now is on this season.

"I'm not in any rush," he added.

No, the only rush Bearden's in comes on the field -- and his opponents can attest to that.